Torpedo-director.



G. G. DAVISON.

TORPEDO DIRECTOR. APPLICATION FILED 'JAN.28,1909.

970,431. Patentedfiept. 13,1910

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS, I

I Mam G. G. DAVISON.

20322130 DIRECTOR. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 26,1909.

' Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

2 BHEETSSHEET 2.

/ INVENTOR ATTORNEY if F} GREGORY cALnwELn ,nnvrsoiv, or QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNQR r ELECTRIC Y BOAT COMPANY, on NEW YoRK, N. Y.,-A CORPGRATION on NEW Jesse's.

TORPEDD-DIRECTOR.

archer.

To all whom it may concern:-

' Be it known that I, GREGORY CALDWELL DAvis'oiv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-.Directors; and I do hereby declare the vfollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap; pertains, to make and use the same. A

The object of the invention is to provide,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 25, 1909. Serial in connection with the periscope of a sub-- supporting structure, together with the director constructed in accordance with. my

invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the di rector, parts ofthe periscope being indicated in connection therewith, and Figs. 8 and 4 are, diagrammatic views illustrating the mode of operation of the director.

The peris e tube, of which the lower endis shown atja, with a laterally extending eye-piece Z), is'fnounted in a stationary su-pport a in the boat, and a hand-wheel (Z is provided for rotating the periscope on its vertical axis toscan the horizon. Depending from thelower end of the rotatable periscope tube is a support 6 for the torpedo di-' rector, which director ismade up essentially of three arms triangularly arranged and ad 1 justable in position with respect topne another. These arms are a torpedo-directionindicator arm 7" swiveled 1n the support e,

a tagget-directiozi-indicator arm 9 having its point of support on the pin I which is in line with the vertical axis of the eriscope tube, and on which the arm g is locked by the nut n so turns with the eriscope; and a target course-indicator arm h. The to edo-diredtion-indicator-ann ,f has a slot iii which the pin 6, having a binding nut kand rigidly fixed in one end of the tar et-course-indicator arm it, moves, so that t be locked in any osition along the slot 7, The graduated si e members of the targetg the axis of that the arm e pin 2' may Patented Sept. 13, with No. 474,232;

the slide Z havin a binding it'may be locked the guide-way.

.nut by which in any desired position in.

This. slide carries a pin 0 moving in a slot p'iiithe targetsdirection-indicator, arm 9, and having a binding not 0.

the target. The pm'i is then set in the slot f in the torpedo-d1motionndicator arm 7 the" speed of the torpedo, and by means of the binding nuts the three arms are locked together in these rel forming'a rigid trianglewhich is complementary to the triangle formed by the line of vision of the periscope, the course of the moving target and the course of the torpedo. The torpedo boat is then turned until the torpedo discharge tube lies parallel. with the torpedo-direction-indicator arm f. In the ordinary practice the torpedo discharge is parallel. with the longitudinal axis of the vessel'and is located in the'how, and in that case the longitudinal axis of the vessel is #brought into cdincidence with the arm f. :It will be seen that, by reason of the similarity of the triangles described, ii the terpedo is discharged-with its tube in the iri dicated position it will the-eel in such a direction and at such a speed as to meet the tar so at the point 7 provided the direction an speed of travel of the target has been properly estimatedl In the drawings 1 have illustrated a frame-work made up of the vertical member 9 and horizontal member 5 which fr mework moves with the armji and earries s. contact arm 8. upper end of this arm is adapted to engage the contact point 2. mounted; on a stationary part ofthe boat at the instant'when the axisof the torpedo firing tube coincides in direccourse-indicator arm); form a guideway for The graduated edges pf'th'e slot fluid the 'turnediuntil it lies parallel to the course of opposite a scale division corresponding to ati've positions, therebv The contact roller r at the" it is rotated the hand-wheel tion with the .arm By this; means an -a1arm device, such as the electric bell w illustrated in-Fig. 2, may be actuated-at this instant to i dicate :the time when the tor- 5 pedo should be fired. The electric conta'ct device is shown merely by way of example and it will be understood that any other indicatormay be employed either visual or audible, or the parts may be so. arranged'as to automatically discharge the torpedo at the proper instant. An arrangement for this purpose is indicated in Fig. 2, in which the torpedo discharge valve lever z is restrained from opening the valveby alatch a which is retracted by an electromagnet b when the circuit is closed 'at In. the specific construction illustrated and described the-triangle of the'director is complementar to the triangle formedby the lineofvision of the periscope, the course of the torpedo, and the course of the target, as shown 1n Fi ..3, but obviously the same result may be e ected by making. the trian- I gle of. the director coincide with the triangle formed by the line of vision of the periscope the course of the torpedo and the course of the target, as shown in Fig. 4.

What I claim is z 1. The combination with a rotatable peri 3oscope of a torpedo director comprising an adjustable triangular frame made up of a target-direction-indicator arm attached to -a,target-course-md1cator arm ad usta the eriscope to rotate therewith, a torpedodirection-indicator arm, swiveled about the.

center of rotation of the target-directiOn-indicator arm vso*that the common center of rotation forms an apex of the triangle, sad

5 connected to they aforesaid arms to complete the triangle.

' 2. Thecombination witha rotatable periscope of a torpedo director com using an adjustable triangular 'frame made up of a target-direction-mdicator arn-i attached to, the periscope to rotate therewith, a torpedo-direction-indicator arm swiveled about the center of rotation of the tztrget-direction-indicator arm so that the common cen-" ter of rotation forms an apex of the triangle, and a target-course-indicator arm" adjustably connected to the aforesaid armsto com pletethe triangle, and mechanism controlled by the relativemovements of the vessel and' the torpedo director to indicate when the torpedo-direction-indicator arm coincides-in direction with the axis of the torpedo discharge tube.

In testimon "whereof I aflix my signature, in presence 0 two witnesses. p

' eimeonr CALDWELL mvlso'r.

Witnesses ,E. L. BRAKE,

W. -D. Fnsnnn'. 

